"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Sir Richard Griffith, Geologist, 1784-1878

If you have ever used Griffith's Valuation to aid you in your genealogical searches in Ireland, you will want to thank one of the men entombed in this family grave, Sir Richard Griffith.

In 1827 Richard John Griffith was appointed Chief Commissioner for valuation of lands in Ireland. He published a geological map of Ireland in 1839 and, following his 1850 appointment as chairman of the Board of Works, in 1854 he conducted a valuation of Irish property in every townland and parish. This work is widely known as Griffith's Valuation. A wealth of information gleaned from this valuation was used for the purposes of taxation, determination of election franchise, and regulation of spirit licences. In 1858 in recognition of the completion of this vast and complex project, Richard Griffith was knighted. Today, the information in this survey still proves to be a valuable tool for genealogists.

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